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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29803806">Flowers for Bruises</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityZenShark/pseuds/CityZenShark'>CityZenShark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>VALORANT (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Gen, Humor, Sage &amp; Skye are best friends, casual fic, hinted OmenSage, hinted Soviper, socially awkward Skye, tired healers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:53:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29803806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityZenShark/pseuds/CityZenShark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rule 1: Never assume injuries only come from battlefields. Skye is still in disbelief.</p><p>//// Chapter 4: The beacons are lit! ////</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Skye &amp; Breach (VALORANT), Skye &amp; Sage (VALORANT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Healers, not doctors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic will be limited based on the number of agents currently in Valorant. My other two fics has yet to have Skye or Yoru, and the arrival of Astra makes my stories feel so left behind to me.</p><p>Also this fic is mostly for laughs and fluffs. The angst will only be in my 'Only Half of Things' fics...</p><p>... probably.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The time when Skye first arrived at Valorant's base.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Thank you for joining us, Skye.” Brimstone giving out a hand to the newest recruit of Valorant Protocol who had just walked out of the teleporter on their base. “We could really use another set of talents in here. Especially in numbers.”</p><p>Skye took captain’s hand and shook it firmly. “Good to be here. I can’t just protect my own land while letting other lands fall. It’s just ain’t right.”</p><p>“I appreciate that. The whole world got much more chaotic since First Light, and Kingdom Corp only makes things worse. The least we the Protocol could do is to stop them once and for all. I’m sure Sage has told you the rest about our job.”</p><p>Skye nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, she did. Where is she anyway?” Skye expected the famous bastion of China to greet her alongside their leader but she was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“She’s preoccupied right now,” answered Brimstone. “We had an accident yesterday so she’s currently watching over three of our team who are injured in the infirmary.”</p><p>“Sounds like she needs help,” Skye said, showing Brimstone her Regrowth flowers.</p><p>Brimstone turned wide eyed. “You can heal?”</p><p>“Yeah! I can’t heal myself but I can heal many people at once.”</p><p>The older man sighed in relief, “Oh, thank God, we have another healer.”</p><p>Skye stared at him in confusion. “Sorry, why did you say that?”</p><p>“You best prepare yourself for your position here in base,” said Brimstone, fixing his composure. “Ever since the Protocol existed, Sage is our only healer and medic we have. Agent 02 have the knowledge in pediatrics but she’s more of a chemist and she’s … not the type of person you’d want to be on your bedside.”</p><p>The Aussie processed his words for a second, blinking dumbly.</p><p>“So … does that mean we don’t have an actual doctor?” She remembered Sage informing her that she was a trained doctor but not an official one. “Like, no real doctor who stays at base?”</p><p>“That’s right.”</p><p>The gears in Skye’s brain were starting to crash. <em>What the hell? I thought this Protocol is supported by some military high-ups? Why the freck don’t they have a real doctor with them?</em></p><p>Brimstone noticed her disbelief and tried to reassure her. “I know this seems unbelievable. I’ve been following up the request for a doctor for some time now.”</p><p>“And still no answer?” Skye could not help but ask.</p><p>“No, no answer at all. Our job is one suicide mission after another. Sage’s power can exhaust and do her badly, so another healer like you could ease her burden. Besides, the Protocol is lacking numbers most of all. Again, thank you for deciding to join us, Skye.”</p><p><em>I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?</em> thought Skye.</p><p>A new figure approached them – a blond man with a long undercut and mismatched eyes, one grey and the other glowing blue. “You must be Skye,” he said in a welcoming tone. Skye liked him already. “Nice to meet you. I am Sova.”</p><p>He gave out a hand and she shook it firmly. “G’day mate.”</p><p>Brimstone spoke up, “Ah, Sova. Good timing. Give Skye a tour around base and take her to her quarters, would you? Her room is next to yours.”</p><p>“I will, captain.”</p><p>Brimstone thanked the blond and excused himself.</p><p>For a base built on a floating chunk of land that was once Venice, it was surprisingly big. Two smaller islands for training fields, a proper kitchen, a lounge area, a gymnasium, and even a garden. When Sova showed her the building where the labs were (each for different purposes!), Skye find herself scoffing at a thought.</p><p>“Sova, I hope you don’t mind me asking about your higher ups.”</p><p>“No, ask away.”</p><p>“They can give you labs each for certain purposes. They can give you all of <em>these</em>—” Skye gestured the base. “—but they can’t hire you a single doctor. How come?”</p><p>Sova scratched the back of his head and answered, “To be honest, I don’t understand either.”</p><p>Skye blinked, “Oh.” What else was there to say?</p><p>“Over there is the infirmary,” said Sova, snapping Skye out of her disbelief. “Sage should still be in there. Let’s go see her.”</p><p>Skye meekly adjusted her headband as she tailed behind the Russian. It has been a while since she saw Sage face to face. She knew the bastion has changed from her old passive timid self after Kingdom had released her. Hopefully she did not pressure herself too much because of that. Once the two arrived at the doors of the medical bay, there was a series of scolding behind them. The scolder has a non-mistaking Chinese accent, while three more voices either grumbled, apologized or complained in reply. They silenced as Sova knocked and pushed one door open.</p><p>“Sorry for interrupting. She’s here.” Sova pushed the door wide for Skye to walk through.</p><p>She saw Sage standing crossly between two beds occupied by a brown skinned girl wearing headphones, a dark-skinned lad with a racer-looking jacket, and a white-haired girl whom Skye recognized as the wind Radiant from Korea. The girls have their arms and faces covered with bandages and cotton gauze whereas the lad was fine but his face was filled with guilt.</p><p><em>What on earth happened to them?</em> Skye thought as she waved to Sage. “Long time no see, Sage!”</p><p>Sage’s frown was replaced by a delighted smile. “Skye!” She made a quick pace to the Aussie, gave her a handshake and a friendly hug. “I’m sorry for not greeting you at the teleporter.”</p><p>“It’s alright, mate. Brimstone told me you’ve been busy from an accident yesterday. Need a hand?”</p><p>“Right. The accident…” Sage said the last word with a sharp tinge. “It’s all fine now. They just need some rest and a good time away from rigorous activities. They will fully recover.”</p><p>Skye caught the trio looking at Sage warily. She pretended not to notice. The girl with headphones piped up from her bed, waving her hand at Skye in excitement. “Hey, new girl!”</p><p>The young man gave a casual wave while the wind Radiant only nod in acknowledgement.</p><p>Feeling awkward, Skye only waved back.</p><p>“Have you unpacked?” asked Sage.</p><p>“Not yet,” Skye replied. “Sova is showing me around right now.”</p><p>“I see. We will talk during dinner later. In the meantime, I have other things to do here. I hope you understand.”</p><p>“Roger that. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”</p><p>“Thank you, Skye. And welcome to Valorant Protocol.”</p><p>Skye closed the medical bay doors and followed Sova to her quarters. No less than a minute later, she heard the scolding resumed.</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t know how many times I must tell you, Phoenix. Do not use your fire too much. You can die permanently. Must I use revival on you again for you to remember?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m sorry, doc. Really…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You better be.”</em>
</p><p>Skye walked next to Sova to gain his attention. “What happened to the those three back there?” she asked him.</p><p>He answered casually, “They were near an exploding robot.”</p><p>“On a mission?”</p><p>“No. On the training field.”</p><p>“Eh?”</p><p>Sova laughed at her reaction as if such incidents happened many times. “You should keep an eye on those three. They are the youngest in the Protocol – the most troublesome, too. They bend the rules almost every day and no one can stop them.”</p><p>Now the gears in her head threatened to jam. “So how did the robot explode?”</p><p>“From what Killjoy remembered,” Sova began. “there was a loose wire. She put the robot away from the rest so she can fix it after her mission from yesterday. Those three—Phoenix, Raze and Jett—didn’t know and took the robot to test their utilities. Phoenix threw a ball of fire at the robot and it exploded. Phoenix can heal himself with his own fire which is why he is uninjured.</p><p>Although, <em>he</em> was the one who could have died in the explosion if he hadn’t used his ultimate.”</p><p>“What?!” Skye blurted out aloud.</p><p>Realization dawned on her a second later. The lad called himself Phoenix. He was a fire Radiant. A phoenix rises from its ashes after death.</p><p>
  <em>Oh… That explained Sage’s scolding.</em>
</p><p>Skye mentally noted down the names the Russian mentioned. Killjoy knew about robots so she must a Radianite techie. That Phoenix was the lad with the racer-looking jacket. Jett sounded like a name fitting for the wind Radiant, so Raze must be the cheery girl with the headphones. Skye was unsure if she should be excited or nervous when she meets the other agents.</p><p>Sova smiled in reassure her. “You’ll get used to them,” he said.</p><p><em>I hope so,</em> thought Skye.</p><p>Once Sova escorted her to her private room, Skye immediately unpacked her things. She took out her Tasmanian tiger and brought him to life. He rubbed his wooden head on hers like a puppy yearning its owner.</p><p>“Hey, boy,” she said, stroking his ears. “Here’s our new home. Are you nervous?”</p><p>Blaze chuffed.</p><p>“Well, I’m nervous, boy. It’s been so long since I worked with people.” She sighed, deflated. “I forgot how various they can be...”</p><p>Blaze huffed in her face. Skye chuckled.</p><p>“Pfft! At least I still have you and Hawko. Don’t ya? Don’t ya~?”</p><p>“Chuff! Chuff!”</p><p>Later that night (after getting lost in one corridor after corridor), Skye came to the lounge area where she met the remaining agents who were gathering for dinner.</p><p>Viper was the Agent 02 Brimstone mentioned. A short, average-looking woman who wore a mask over her lower face. Skye thought she was hiding some horrible scars or something underneath it but there was only a clean normal face. Her twitching hands seem to tell Skye not to get in her nerves.</p><p>The trio she saw in the infirmary gather around her like a litter of hungry kittens. Raze was the loudest of the three. Phoenix was the politest, though Skye sense mischief and pride from him. Jett sounded like the type to jeer a lot and Skye wouldn’t ask why.</p><p>The Aussie’s theory about Killjoy being a Radianite techie were true. The young German woman was <em>the one</em> who designed many deadly machines for Kingdom before defecting to Valorant. Skye was not too sure how to feel about that.</p><p>Agents she has yet to meet were currently on missions. The fourth and fifth Duelist called Reyna and Yoru. The intel broker Cypher of Morroco. An infamous criminal from Sweden who called himself Breach. Lastly, an old friend of Viper’s and the most mysterious agent (as told by the youngest trio), Omen.</p><p>As curfew approached, Brimstone handed her her official agent access card before she dismissed to her room. Skye found herself staring intensely at it on her bed with Blaze curling at her feet. Hawko landed near her head, chirping for attention.</p><p>Skye scratched her bird’s neck. “Well, expect the worst and hope for the best. First day of your new job tomorrow, Emily. No turning back now.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Red-heads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The time when Skye is the cause for an injury.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Skye was preparing lunch when a burly man with long braided red hair and mechanical arms sat by the kitchen counter looking at her with interest. An interest that was neither creepy or mischievous. Rather he seemed flirtatious.</p><p>He cleared his throat and got her attention. “Hey.”</p><p>Skye stared back dumbfounded. “Uh… hi?”</p><p>“You must be the new recruit. Skye, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s me.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you.” He held out his mechanical hand to her over the counter. “The name’s Breach.”</p><p><em>Ah, it’s the infamous criminal,</em> thought Skye. <em>He won’t crush my hand, won’t he?</em> Skye hid her nervousness and shook his hand. Joining this Protocol already made her a criminal by law so it would be rude and ironic if she did not take him well.</p><p>“Nice arms,” he complimented. “and cool scars. Got them from a fight?” Breach sounded really eager to know if she gotten the scars from a brawl. He did seem like a brash type of guy.</p><p>However, all Skye could think was, <em>Why is he talking to me like that?</em></p><p>“Err—no. I got them from farming accidents. Animal fights, harvesting machines and such. From hikes, too.”</p><p>Breach nodded in acknowledgement. “Even that big gash there?”</p><p>Skye glanced at the scar he mentioned. “Nope. I got this from my tiger.”</p><p>“You have a tiger?”</p><p>“Yes. A tiger – not a wolf.” Skye said automatically. Breach gave a confused look which made the Aussie realized her mistake: she has yet to show the team her creatures. “I mean—you’ll see it eventually in the weekend.”</p><p>Breach hummed sagely, which caused her to oddly feel heat rising her neck and face.</p><p>Skye told herself in heart, <em>Girl, calm the freak down. You just met him. Men flirt; they always flirt. This ain’t the first time you get hit on.</em></p><p>“I gotta say—” Breach’s voice snapped her from her thoughts. “—that’s some nice guns!”</p><p><em>Guns? Oh right. Arms. </em>Skye was about to thank him but the cyborg was not done yet.</p><p>“It’s been a while since I’ve seen big guns on a lady. Every other woman here—their arms aren’t as buff as yours but they got their own strength. The last time I saw a woman with arms like those, she retired.” He sighed, seemingly recalling a memory. “Man, I do miss that old woman.”</p><p>“She sounds like quite a fighter,” replied Skye as she continued making lunch.</p><p>“Oh, she was. No one messes with her. Not even the Interpol. I’m <em>way</em> behind her peers even though my bounty is getting higher than hers.”</p><p>The Interpol? Bounty? The old lady he was talking about was a criminal? Skye was told Breach was a criminal but she did not expect him to be a criminal infamous enough to be wanted by the <em>international police</em> bureau. <em>Valorant Protocol is full of colourful people…</em> she thought, feeling her social discomfort threatening to show.</p><p>To surpass them, she busied herself in the kitchen. This was her first meal-making duty so she made the best Australian chicken pies. She thought of making something else but it might take a long time to prepare. Perhaps Skye was being too anxious in the Protocol. Now she felt like a kid again.</p><p>“Want to arm wrestle?”</p><p>Baffled, Skye whipped her head towards him. Breach positioned an arm on the counter fully prepared for an arm wrestle. And his face… He was clearly <em>flirting</em> with her.</p><p>Skye felt her cheeks turn hot, but she told him she will finish the pies first before accepting. The Swede waited patiently and was beaming when she pulled a stool to sit across of him.</p><p><em>Good God – calm down, girl!</em> Screamed her thoughts. <em>It’s just another guy. Just another guy.</em></p><p>“I won’t go easy on ya!” said Breach as Skye clasped his hand.</p><p>“I won’t either!”</p><p>“One… Two… Three!”</p><p>They pushed each other’s hand down with might force. Skye put all of her strength into her arm whereas Breach—for the first time in a long time—began to struggle. His prosthesis went further and further down to the counter until the knuckles hit the counter.</p><p>“Hah! I win!” Skye cheered aloud.</p><p>Breach blinked at his hand in disbelief before turning to the Aussie. “Damn, girl, you’re the first to beat me first try.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?”</p><p>“Hell yeah! Let’s go again – one out of three.”</p><p>Skye blinked for a second before accepting. He was the first guy she knew who did not mind a girl defeating him.</p><p>The red-heads went on a second round and, again, Skye won. Breach was mighty impressed but he wanted more.</p><p>“Alright, one more!”</p><p>“You betcha!”</p><p>Skye was feeling happy of the situation. She did not expect to make a friend like this (though it could not beat how she first met Sage). She had ton of questions she wished to ask him later on. Did he lost his arms or was he born without them? What kind of criminal was he? A robber? An illegal engineer? How high was his bounty? (How high will her own bounty be?)</p><p>The Aussie was deep in excited thought as she pushed his hand down for the third time. And then—</p><p>CRACK!</p><p>Breach’s mechanical arm went limp, hitting the counter loudly and heavy. Skye pulled her hand away and looked at the Swede. The eagerness on his face vanished, replaced by shock and a silent scream.</p><p>“Oh my god!” Skye gasped; quickly ran to his side. “Did I—I didn’t—Oh sh^t!”</p><p>Breach nodded small but he kept looking forward as if staring at a blank space. “Yep. Yeah, you did. You broke my collarbone. I know this feeling too well.”</p><p>Skye paled with a hundred alarms ringing in her head. <em>I messed up big time!</em></p><p>“Skye,” Breach called out calmly, pulling out of her trance. “You need to take my arm off.”</p><p>“Uhm…?”</p><p>“There is a manual clasp harnessing my arms in case I can’t get them off myself. It’s on my back. Take my vest off and unclasp it.”</p><p>Skye glanced around his vest for a zip or anything that can slip his functioning arm through. “Uh… How?”</p><p>“Oh no…” moaned Breach. “Nevermind. Help me get to the med bay. And support this arm you wrecked, please.”</p><p>The entire journey from the kitchen to the infirmary feels hot as a desert. The joy she had from the arm wrestling blew away with the wind. She had only arrived three days ago and she hurt a teammate already. When they arrived there, Sage’s face of utter disbelief was a cherry on top of a good day turned bad.</p><p>After helping Sage fixing Breach, Skye was ready to rush to the kitchen to make something much worthy as an apology. Instead, he halted her with an invitation full of genuine enthusiasm.</p><p>“Fellow red-head, let’s hit the gym together when I’m fixed up!”</p><p>That help eased her anxiety, but she made him a separate lunch anyway. His haughty laughter and reassurance pulled her spirits from going more downwards.</p><p>Later that night Skye wrote down her journal:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Breach – check – nice cyborg, kind of loud, fellow red-head. Broke his collarbone as soon as I met him. Not doing that again.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>This weekend – show my trinkets.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>… I was told Reyna favours Radiants over Radianite-tech users by a mile. Vampire was her codename, I believe. I hope she had no plans to kill anyone in the Protocol.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. "Call me flower girl again"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Skye hurt a teammate once again. But this time, that person deserves it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Was planning to write a chapter with Reyna, however this idea regarding their voicelines popped up and I wrote it down while it's fresh. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Although Yoru owed Valorant Protocol his life, he could not find himself to be fond of them. He respected them sure, but it was mostly tolerance.</p><p>The life he once knew was harsh in a different manner. Blades and arrows instead of bullets. Horns instead of radio calls. That old life was far behind him, and he was far in the future. He was surprised himself that he was taking this future quite well. One of things he appreciated was his blue hair dye. The shogun would never allow samurais to wear such fashion if it were to exist back then. Yoru did not care. He has always been bending the shogun law. They can have his head for all he cared. He lived thanks to Radianite that—somehow—traversed through time, froze him in the ship, and allow him to be the last samurai alive hundreds of years in the future.</p><p>Seeing his own culture’s change was a hit in the gut. But what can he do? Since he cannot do anything about it, he did not care. What he <em>does</em> care was how brutal Kingdom Corp. was at taking lands of the poor as though they were cutting weed in their lawn. It reminded him too much of the Mongol raid on Tsushima.</p><p>“Kingdom sh^t,” he sneered, stepping on a brochure with the stylized ‘K’ logo.</p><p>“Hey, mate, if you want to take down Kingdom, take their Radianite. Stepping on their logos do nothing.”</p><p>Yoru turned to his shoulder and locked eyes with the red-headed woman. Skye was Agent 14 yet arrived later than he – Agent 15. Yoru was not exactly sure what her motivation was. He assumed she was like Raze, rebelling to save her home. Why she was late was not his problem. Neither he hers.</p><p>He tucked his hands in his pockets. “Stepping on them makes me satisfied. Got a problem with that?”</p><p>“I’m just saying to put your anger away in case we have to fight later.”</p><p>Yoru scoffed, “Whatever.”</p><p>He and Skye were the only Protocol members at Split. There had been signs of a Rift opening and they were sent there to investigate. Unlike usual, there were civilians in the slums and a few workers in the train station. Neither brought a gun, only knives and Ghost pistols. The mission was to make sure that the Rift had sealed, and no double walked out of it. Yoru overheard talks of the slums searching for new homes they cannot afford, fearing and tired of another evacuation.</p><p>
  <em>No matter which century I am, poverty is still a pain in the ass.</em>
</p><p>After hours of finding nothing, Yoru was beginning to get bored. He would love a bottle of sake from old Kochou’s store down the lane. He should ask for the recipe. Better to learn to make it himself before time gets the old man.</p><p>He turned to observe Skye. His partner had been sculpting some wood with dried flowers she brought. Those were for healing he remembered. He had to admit, it was remarkable she could heal many at once and bring her sculptures to life. Almost like Sage but more, in a way. However, he sensed she was holding back.</p><p>Yoru shook his head, scoffing at himself. <em>Not my problem. It’s not my problem.</em></p><p>Boredom began to rise. Yoru spotted a pile of dried leaves that landed in the corner. Itching for something to cut the boredom, he grabbed a few and went to her.</p><p>“Hey, flower girl. I found some leaves. Do you want them?”</p><p>Skye looked up from her work. She rose a brow then looking back at forth at her carving and the leaves in his hands.</p><p>“I’m good enough, thanks.” She replied.</p><p>Yoru threw the leaves to the ground. “Alright then.” He spun around to take a stroll when Skye called his name.</p><p>“Yoru.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>He saw Skye smiling at him mimicking Reyna’s hungry smile. He was told by Breach that the Aussie was socially awkward. Her smile right now told him otherwise. It seemed threatening.</p><p>With a casual pretty tone, she said, “Call me flower girl again, I’ll break your nose.”</p><p>Yoru felt a sweat drop. He smirked back “Noted.” He began to head for the road leading to old Kochou’s store.</p><p>That was when he heard his Dimensional Drift on the opposite road.</p><p>Yoru stopped at his tracks. He turned back Skye who locked eyes with him, signaling that she heard it as well. Swiftly they put their guard up, pistols in hand and crept to where the noise came from.</p><p>
  <em>My Drift is louder than I thought. That or my double is stupidly close to us.</em>
</p><p>The neighbourhood immediately got quiet at the sound for a second before it bustled in murmurs and rushed footsteps.</p><p>Skye whispered to him, “I see people starting to check the place.”</p><p>“I know,” he whispered back. “I can hear them.”</p><p>“I’m going to scout out.” Skye took out her wolf-looking tiger talisman. Yoru stopped her.</p><p>“Don’t. There’s only two of us. Your tiger will draw attention. And if I get distracted, my double will take the chance kill you. Just use your birds. He blinds us; we blind him.”</p><p>Skye nodded and put the talisman away. Yoru wished Omen had come along instead, but his fellow teleporter has an ‘important errand’ with Sage—whatever was going on between those two.</p><p>They heard the Drift opening again. His double was back being visible. And he was close. Really close. He must have Drifted to observe them.</p><p>Now Yoru understood how annoying his ultimate can be.</p><p>As if on que, a shining red ball bounced off the ground in front of them. They quickly covered their eyes with their arms but was too late. Blinded, they quickly ducked for cover behind the piles of trash. Yoru stepped on a cardboard laid flat on the ground when his foot did feel the ground under the cardboard.</p><p>His leg scrapped on sharp metal and, suddenly, he was falling.</p><p>Flat slabs of dark concrete whoosh pass him as sewage smell filled his nose until he gagged. His legs crashed painfully on the flat concrete below, barely cushioning the rest of his body.</p><p>Black lights played with his senses.</p><p>He heard Skye’s voice echoing from the hole he fell through. She sounded so far away. This damn hole must be deep. Who the hell covered a manhole this deep with a <em>cardboard</em>?</p><p><em>This is a sh^tty way to die. </em>The lurker Duelist forced his consciousness back despite the pain across his body urging him to stay down.</p><p><em>“Yoru!” </em>Skye called him through is comm piece on his ear. <em>“Are you okay?! Can you hear me?!”</em></p><p>He pressed the comm with more effort than he liked. “Yeah, I’m alive. Ugh!” He winced in pain. He looked at his legs to find one of them with flowing out blood and the ankle in an awkward angle. “I think my ankle broke.”</p><p>
  <em>“Sh^t. Hold on, mate, I’ll find a way to get you.”</em>
</p><p>Yoru looked up to the hole in time. The moment Skye moved away; he saw a figure wearing his blue jacket dashing behind her.</p><p>He quickly pressed his comm. “Skye, look out—he’s behind you!”</p><p>An unmistaken sound of a slashing knife and Yoru heard Skye yelped in pain.</p><p>“Skye!” he yelled, at both through the comm and towards the manhole. “SKYE!!”</p><p><em>There’s no way I’ll let us both die like this!</em> Yoru clenched his teeth as he forced himself up and navigate through the sewers. Thankfully the nearest manhole with a ladder was only a few turns away. His leg made him feel he had been limping longer than that.</p><p>Time to climb.</p><p>Yoru thought of taking a minute to catch his breath but gunshots were heard from above. At each step, Yoru ignored the paranoia that his leg would give in mid-climbing. Biting his tongue and lip to suppress the pain, he put all of effort on top of the ladder and push the manhole cover open.</p><p>He pushed himself out and took a deep breath of fresh air. Fresh, clean air.</p><p>“AAH!”</p><p>Yoru’s head whipped at the direction of the pained scream.</p><p>Skye.</p><p>He grabbed for the nearest pole—a broomstick to be precise—and limp his way there. The closer he got; he distinguished a sound of a knife clattering on the ground followed by cracking bones.</p><p>Mustering all his might to ignore the pain, Yoru limped at a dead end of an alley between two abandoned houses. He finally saw Skye who had blood trickling down the side of her neck and her fist. Her other fist was holding his double by the collar, who was on his knees and seemed unconscious.</p><p>Damn. His clone’s face was a mess. He could hardly recognize himself if it were not for the jacket.</p><p>“Skye,” Yoru called out.</p><p>His partner turned to him; her eyes filled with adrenaline and her bloodied fist ready.</p><p>Yoru carefully held a hand out. “It’s me. I fell – remember? That’s my clone you’re holding—me from another earth.”</p><p>He watched recognition slowly washed over her face as her fist lowered.</p><p>“Put him down,” he told her. She released the double and let him fall unceremoniously on the ground. <em>Too bad I missed the show, </em>thought Yoru darkly. You wanted to say it out loud though Skye’s shaken state prevented him.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Skye asked him.</p><p>“Other than a broken leg, I’m fine. You?”</p><p>Skye touched the blood on her neck. “He sliced me a bit. But I can manage.”</p><p>Skye took a few steps back to help support him. Yoru walked forward to his clone instead and took his Ghost out.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“Finishing the job,” he answered. He fired right in the forehead. “There’s only one Yoru in this world – and it’s certainly not you.”</p><p>Skye’s face scrunch in discomfort. “Should we hide the body?”</p><p>“No need. I sense a Rift about to open here. It’ll take him back to his earth and his Sage will revive him.”</p><p>Skye continued to stare at his dead double with a thousand emotions. Yoru almost said to her to toughen up when pain bit his legs with mighty force.</p><p>He hissed and clenched his teeth, nearly falling off the broomstick that supported his body. Skye quickly put her arms around his body.</p><p>Yoru said between his hisses, “Let’s get out of here.”</p><p>He let Skye carry him as they made their way back to the transport back to base. She was quiet the whole journey.</p><p>
  
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You broke your leg … after falling through a manhole?” Omen grunted as though in disbelief whilst staring at the cast on Yoru’s leg.</p><p>“Shut up,” Yoru groaned in annoyance. “We were blinded. I couldn’t see that the trash was covering a manhole.”</p><p>“Did you not use your portal?”</p><p>Yoru scoffed, growing more annoyed. “Don’t make me sound like an idiot. I simply didn’t think about it.” Was his injury not humiliating enough? Having to explain to Sage and Brimstone what happened was one thing, but a third pair of ears was a big no. Although Omen never do gossip, his pride still hurt.</p><p>Omen hummed. He turned his hooded head towards the bed where Sage was tending Skye behind the curtains around that bed. Yoru found himself looking at the direction, too.</p><p>“How’s Skye?” he asked in a low voice.</p><p>“In shock,” answered Omen. “She <em>did</em> kill your clone.”</p><p>“No, I killed him – with a bullet in the head. She beat the hell out of him before that.”</p><p>“Looks like he did a number on her in return.”</p><p>At first, Yoru thought it was the injury on her neck but kept his mouth shut, realizing what Omen meant.</p><p>Seeing a double of someone you know was mind-blowing. Seeing a double who looks exactly like that someone and it wants to kill you was more than nerve wrecking. Yoru remembered when he first killed a clone of a teammate. It was a Cypher. He never liked that hacker but he did not want him dead. After he killed him, he thought he had induced friendly fire when the clone’s remaining team were all identical to his on that mission.</p><p> Skye has yet to see her own double. Yoru wondered how she would react when she kills her…</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Thanks to the combined heals from both Sage and Skye, his leg was free from the cast in a matter of two weeks. He still required rehab which he could not avoid even if he wanted to.</p><p>One day he was taking a stroll around base minding his own base. He would love it if the youngest trio were absent while he was there or, at the very least, quiet. Obviously, the second hope was near impossible. Everywhere he went, those three were tailing him like weened kittens hungry for their mother’s milk. <em>Damn it to hell.</em> Yoru then put on his Oni mask and went invisible.</p><p>“Aw, man – he’s gone!” Raze pouted, confirming that they were following him on purpose.</p><p>“There he goes. Into his secret world again,” Jett said. She then cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted. “Hey, dude! Rule says we can’t use our ultimate abilities indoors!”</p><p>“Yeah, bruv!” Phoenix butted him as he looked around for a sign of the lurker Radiant. “Viper will kill you if you do! Raze did it once, and she ain’t kidding!”</p><p>Raze gasped in betrayal, “Hey! Don’t tell him that!”</p><p>“He’ll know eventually.”</p><p>“If not already!” Jett said with a mischievous smile.</p><p>Yoru watched them bicker for a moment before leaving the area. Those three were young – fresh out of adolescence. Why did the old man let people so young in this organization? Out of everyone in Valorant, he doubted the trio had any experiences in real war. But it seems having to constantly fight a double of each other now counts as it.</p><p>Yoru Drifted aimlessly through corridors and quietly entered the gym. The only soul in there was Skye who was exercising her punches and kicks to a punching bag. Usually she, Breach and Brimstone occupied the gym most compared to everyone else. Breach must be on the mainland currently while Brimstone was busy with paperwork.</p><p>Yoru thought of leaving when an idea struck.</p><p>Skye continued to beat the punching back unaware of a teammate creeping up from behind her. After a good minute, she stopped, breathing heavily. She moved to the nearest bench to grab her bottle of water, her back turned to Yoru.</p><p>He pulled out of the Rift. “Hey flower girl.”</p><p>A mistake done. A yelp, a whish of her red hair, and a fist to the face. Yoru flew backwards to the floor immediately feeling blood going up his nose.</p><p>“Itai…” he mumbled. Yoru’s hands went up to his nose.</p><p>Skye stared down at him in shock. “What—the hell—was that for?!”</p><p>Yoru sighed in surrender. “My fault. I shouldn’t have done that.”</p><p>“Damn well you shouldn’t!” Skye yelled. “What the hell, Yoru! I thought—I thought you were—”</p><p>“My clone?” he finished for her.</p><p>The Aussie threw her hands up, “Duh!”</p><p>He slowly sat up crossed legged, still clutching his nose. “That was only <em>my</em> clone you fought. You haven’t met your own yet. And trust me, you’ll feel much worse.”</p><p>There was no point to soften the fact, but the face Skye made caused a pang of guilt within the former samurai. He pushed it away. “Hey, a little help?”</p><p>Skye sighed, grabbing a dried flower from her things and knelt beside him. Her healing was quick but it lacked the soothe feeling like Sage’s. He knew the feeling of bones going back in place too well but it was never not uncomfortable.</p><p>She healed him in silence. When it was done, she asked, “What does it feel like?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“Killing … yourself? Double, clone or whatever you call them. None of you seemed bothered by it. How are you used to it?”</p><p>Yoru thought of a good answer but found none.</p><p>“It just happens,” he said. “If you kill a double of yourself, you’re confident that you are you. But when you have to kill our opposite’s teammates, that’s when you gamble—especially when your team and theirs are alike.”</p><p>“Have you…?”</p><p>“I thought I have.” Yoru lowered down his voice. “On my first mission, I killed a Cypher. Cypher was not there with me so I was sure I killed a clone. Then his team ambushed me, I thought I killed <em>our</em> Cypher.” He sighed heavily, “Took me a while to get over it.”</p><p>He cannot believe that he talked about it. Yoru found the concept of therapy through conversation too uncomfortable to his liking. He did not care if his listener would keep it a secret. He no longer felt bottled up but his image was an exchange. Was it because Skye was new? He was unsure.</p><p>The Aussie took in his story in silence. Yoru hoped she acknowledged his trauma and ‘advice’. She did.</p><p>“Looks like I better get ahead of myself then,” she said with a pained smile, putting her Regrowth flowers away. “Sorry for breaking your nose.”</p><p>Yoru expected a comment yet none came from her. He waved her off. “It’s fine. Take it as payback for surprising you. I did call you flower girl.”</p><p>“Oh, right!” A real smile appeared on her face. “Thanks for the reminder. Since you remembered, don’t call me that for the third time. Yeah, mate?”</p><p>“Crystal clear.”</p><p>Seems like he would be fond of someone after all.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Unlike my 'Only Half of Things' series, which are based heavily on Episode 1 headcanons, this one will more canon-diverge. Sage is involved in Viper's and Omen's past, Sova only tolerates Cypher and are not best friends, and etc..</p><p>Thank you for following this story!</p><p>-- 7 April 2021--</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The beacons are lit!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So bright! So white!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope I used the Russian and Portugese word(s) correctly. Do tell me if there's a mistake so I can fix it up as soon as I can.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To have a peaceful day off at the beach was a luxurious dream. Being a part of a shadow organization made it impossible for any member to spend time at beaches without risking getting caught by bounty hunters, authorities or such.</p><p>Yet, here there were.</p><p>The beach was actually a tiny deserted island like the typical ones seen in cartoons. Several palm trees, one rock formation, and lots and lots of crabs. It was within sight of their base in the sky so they only rode a propellor plane to get there. Everyone was enjoying the time.</p><p>… Mostly everyone.</p><p>“Come out off the plane already, pretty boy! It’s not every day we spend time like this!” Breach yelled with a big smile. The last occupant of the plane refused to join the fun, hands in his pockets, fully clothed as if it were a normal day.</p><p>“No, thank you,” replied Sova flatly. “I’d rather not have sunburns.”</p><p>“Sunscreen exists for a reason, owl boy. I’ll put them on you!”</p><p>“Very much no.”</p><p>Skye chuckled at the scene from her hammock. Blaze perked his head from bellow her, curious to why she laughed. Skye scratched him in the ear and he returned resting.</p><p>“Aren’t you joining the youngsters in the water, dear?” Reyna asked a few meters next to her, tilting her sunglasses. The Mexican vampire sat on a beach chair under a canvas of shade sharing with Brimstone and Viper, who were also relaxing on their own beach chairs.</p><p>“Nah, I’m good.” Skye replied. “Would you like to, Reyna?”</p><p>Reyna shook her head. “All the splashing makes me tired. Makes me think why would one want to be tired on a day when we’re supposed to relax.” She fixed her sunglasses and opened a magazine. “Besides, I’m too old for their energy.”</p><p>Brimstone and Viper agreed with her.</p><p>“Mm hm.”</p><p>“Well said.”</p><p>Skye stared at them. She had forgotten that Reyna was close to Brimstone’s age just like Viper. The way she talked just made people confused about her age.</p><p>Between their spot and the water there sat Sage, Omen and Yoru under a pair of beach umbrellas. The east-Asian duo was likely meditating as they had not move from their sitting pose for some time. Omen meanwhile was poking holes in the sand with a stick. Skye was surprised that the phantom decided to join them on the beach, considering his personality.</p><p>The youngest members were all out in the water with Breach. They brought a beach ball, a volley ball and net, water guns, and even surfing boards. Skye felt slightly envious of the youthful energy. The only person who found solstice in the area was Astra – sitting afar from everyone else with a fishing pole placed and her sketchbook in hand.</p><p>The youngest four and Breach began to play with water guns. Only at each other, at first. Then Raze pointed at Sova on the plane, prompting the rest to head his direction and showered him with seawater.</p><p>Sova shielded himself with his arms. “Hey!” he yelled between sputters.</p><p>“Ocean water in the hole!!” cheered Raze. Phoenix began howling in excitement. Jett and Breach wore the biggest mischievous smiles Skye had ever seen on them. Whereas Killjoy was laughing so hard, her aim went potato.</p><p>Brimstone looked up at the commotion and sat up. “Hey, don’t spray at the plane or you guys will clean it up!”</p><p>Killjoy stopped shooting to yell back. “Tell that to Sova! He came with but he never got off the plane.”</p><p>“Wearing a jacket and long trackpants of all things,” Phoenix added.</p><p>Jett cupped her mouth and screamed, “Dude, take your shirt off and absorb the sunlight! A little tan won’t hurt!”</p><p>Sova grimaced and mumbled something too quiet to hear.</p><p>“That’s it!” Breach threw his water gun down and stomped to the other Initiator. “We both come from countries that snow and beaches too cold. Oh wait. I don’t grow up sightseeing the sea, do you? Living the mountain man life—”</p><p>“I get it, Breach.” Sova cut him off with a snarl. “I’ll go if you get away from me.”</p><p>Breach raised both hands in surrender, mockingly. “Alright. No homo, owl boy. No homo.”</p><p>Sova scoffed and rolled his eyes. He disappeared inside the plane again, likely to take off his top. Skye could tell what he was hiding. Since he was born in the tundra, he must have porcelain white skin. Probably whiter than any Caucasian redheads. Skye remembered once when she was young, she joined a school camping program in a park that has a river. No kid wanted to miss out the fun so she joined in. She also remembered coming home feeling humiliated—not fun—because the other kids teased her skin to a … something.</p><p>
  <em>What was the meme they called me?</em>
</p><p>“Oh my God!” Raze cried before breaking into uncontrollable chortles.</p><p>“What?!” Jett gasped aloud. “What the ffff-fah-fah-haaaa-!” The Korean rolled on her stomach down to the wet sand.</p><p>Killjoy tried to speak but laughter caused her to hold her stomach.</p><p>The commotion caught everyone else’s attention. They looked up from their activity and saw what caused it.</p><p>Sova, finally, came down from the plane. His trackpants rolled to his knees, hair tied to a bun, and was shirtless – baring his white skin under the sunlight.</p><p>Such. Whiteness.</p><p>So white it was as though he was reflecting the sunlight like a mirror.</p><p>Other agents’ reactions began to join in Raze’s and Jett’s laughter. Only Phoenix seemed to be controlling his laughter, though barely.</p><p>“D-Don’t worry, bruv—<em>Hic!</em> I mean—you’re not that pale. You’ll tan up in no time.”</p><p>Sova’s death glare only made the scene funnier.</p><p>Breach guffawed the loudest he had ever been. “I’m starting to think you brought Russian snow under your skin. Literally!”</p><p>“Wow…” Skye heard Sage said, amused and in disbelief. “He’s much paler under sunlight.”</p><p>“That’s the palest guy I’ve ever seen,” said Yoru.</p><p>“Whiter than milk,” grumbled Omen, earning nods of agreement from both Sage and Yoru.</p><p>In the oldest trio’s shade, Reyna was hiding her giggles under her tattooed hand. Brimstone took one glance at the scene, sighed with a small smile on his lips, and took a nap again. Viper’s face a red. Red as tomato. Reyna stopped giggling to look at the chemist beside her.</p><p>“My dear, Viper,” she purred. “are you flustered?”</p><p>Viper looked back at her in horror. “What? No!”</p><p>“I can feel your heart racing~”</p><p>The chemist looked as though steam were coming out of her ears as she grabbed a magazine, opened it on a random page and put it over her face. Reyna kept giggling.</p><p>Then Raze yelled something that jogged Skye’s memories. The bomber ran in circles around Sova like a hyperactive child.</p><p>“The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit!”</p><p>Jett joined her. “Gondor calls for aid!”</p><p>“And Rohan will answer!” Breach finished with pride.</p><p>Skye found herself laughing with them now. <em>So </em>that<em> was what those kids called me. Beacons of Minas Tirith. Man, I should reread the books and watch the trilogy again.</em></p><p>Eventually, Sova was forced to join the chaotic playing various games in the water. As dusk approached and they were packing up to return to base, they suddenly remembered that the hunter had not put sunscreen on the entire time. His white skin became bright pink. The brightest pink skin Skye has ever seen.</p><p>She and Sage then spent their early night time treating an angry, sunburnt Sova.</p><p>“The next time I go to Icebox with even one of them баламут,” Skye overheard him muttering. “I’ll make them swim there.”</p><p> Skye imagined Sova laughing like a devil watching the youngest four and Breach in icy cold waters. Although knowing him, he won’t do it.</p><p>Hopefully not.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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